What effect does Teach for America have on American Public Education? (working research problem/question. As I further my research this will develop more).
Brainstorming Ideas:
TFA and its effects on veteran teachers. TFA is blaming the "problems" in education on veteran teachers, but once they enter the schools and realize how much work it is being a teacher, who do they go to for help? The veteran teachers who know what they are doing. Don't be savior, when you have no idea what needs to be saved. The poverty/zoning in this country is what needs help. Once these problems get fixed, our schools will get fixed.
TFA and its effects on the finances of the American Education System. For each 'corps' member the school gives TFA 2,000 dollars AND the member gets a full-based teaching salary pay as any first year teacher. Why are we paying this much to TFA? Why are urban schools paying an organization to 'save' their school? Why is TFA a multiple million dollar organization? Where did this all start? Why? Their mission statement of, 'closing the achievement gap'?
TFA's effects on "under-qualified" teachers, such as, working in an urban school with only five weeks of training, classroom management, lesson planning tactics. How is it possible to undermine a career as this organization is doing with teaching? Doctors do not have this sort of system where anyone who passes five weeks orif training gets placed in a clinic? Lawyers do not have the option of registering for a five week program that trains you to be a lawyer. Many professional jobs do not have this skewed way of thinking. People who want to be teachers go to school and train and observe in classrooms, student teach, write research papers on education, speak with veteran teachers/professors who have been teaching far longer to get ideas and strategies to benefit the students in the classrooms. Who is in charge of the education training at TFA? (I'd hope master teachers, or reflective teachers who have been in the practice for quite some time, but then again, I do not think any teacher who has gone to school and received a background in education, would work for an organization that trains smart graduates in a five week program that says, okay, you're ready to teach this class of 30 students in an urban district; go).
Brainstorming Ideas:
TFA and its effects on veteran teachers. TFA is blaming the "problems" in education on veteran teachers, but once they enter the schools and realize how much work it is being a teacher, who do they go to for help? The veteran teachers who know what they are doing. Don't be savior, when you have no idea what needs to be saved. The poverty/zoning in this country is what needs help. Once these problems get fixed, our schools will get fixed.
TFA and its effects on the finances of the American Education System. For each 'corps' member the school gives TFA 2,000 dollars AND the member gets a full-based teaching salary pay as any first year teacher. Why are we paying this much to TFA? Why are urban schools paying an organization to 'save' their school? Why is TFA a multiple million dollar organization? Where did this all start? Why? Their mission statement of, 'closing the achievement gap'?
TFA's effects on "under-qualified" teachers, such as, working in an urban school with only five weeks of training, classroom management, lesson planning tactics. How is it possible to undermine a career as this organization is doing with teaching? Doctors do not have this sort of system where anyone who passes five weeks orif training gets placed in a clinic? Lawyers do not have the option of registering for a five week program that trains you to be a lawyer. Many professional jobs do not have this skewed way of thinking. People who want to be teachers go to school and train and observe in classrooms, student teach, write research papers on education, speak with veteran teachers/professors who have been teaching far longer to get ideas and strategies to benefit the students in the classrooms. Who is in charge of the education training at TFA? (I'd hope master teachers, or reflective teachers who have been in the practice for quite some time, but then again, I do not think any teacher who has gone to school and received a background in education, would work for an organization that trains smart graduates in a five week program that says, okay, you're ready to teach this class of 30 students in an urban district; go).
http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/teach-for-america-return
http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/12/is-teach-for-america-good-for-america
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/02/01/a-letter-to-teach-for-americas-wendy-kopp-and-her-response/
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/11/154761299/is-teach-for-america-failing
Good Effects:
TFA and placing teachers into classrooms.